Message from Jerry Correa

Aloha!
Every day, St. Francis Healthcare System is making a difference in the lives of others. The words we say and the things we do change the trajectory of patients and their families. We put them on a different path toward a better quality of life

Pope Francis said we bring light into the world through a “culture of encounter.” There is a deep spiritual meaning to his words. In his pastoral exhortation, Evangelii gaudium, Pope Francis urges us to experience “a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter us.” Christ is constantly reaching out to all persons, but an encounter only occurs when that invitation is acknowledged and responded to by a human being. God reaches out to us, and eagerly awaits in hope for our response.

Catholic healthcare organizations distinguish themselves by creating a culture of encounter by looking beyond our own needs to the needs of others. We reach out to show God’s love and faithfulness to our patients and caregivers, co-workers, volunteers and others we touch. It is about building life-changing and life-giving relationships. It is about giving, not receiving.

Healing in body, mind and spirit occur every day because of our collective efforts and teamwork. It is based on a simple belief: we should respect the dignity of every human being. As you can see from the letters of appreciation from families of our hospice patients in this newsletter, it truly takes a team to deliver quality care and respect every human being.

Whether it’s our nurses, social workers, aides, physicians or those on our Spiritual Care team, we all play a vital role in our healing ministry. It is through our collective efforts that our hospice program was able to receive a renewed certification from The Joint Commission.

Let’s keep up the great work to carry on our legacy of caring and quality for Hawaii’s people.